Applications of Local-Species CLT and Forest Products in Northeastern Modular Housing

Abstract

The rural landscape of the Northeastern region of the United States is predominantly defined by the abundant forest and timberland that exist in the region. Socioeconomically, today’s communities within these rural areas often lack economic opportunity, with a housing stock defined by the necessity for up-front affordability, such as manufactured homes. Many of the standard materials of these homes lack longevity, and are made from non-renewable and petroleum-based products. These materials are often harmful to humans, generating various health concerns while also being significant contributors to carbon and greenhouse-gas emissions through their production, short service-lives, and transportation from foreign lands. This project aims to design an environmentally sustainable, healthy, and regenerative modular housing system that highlights current and proposed local forest products for a biogenic construction assembly. The system is based around the proposed use of eastern white pine CLT (Cross-Laminated-Timber) for panelized construction, and designed intentionally as a system for modular addition/expansion to optimize affordability and longevity of the housing stock. Finally, the system will be analyzed and compared with a representative conventional modular house, as well as with a site-built, typical lightwood- frame-constructed version of itself. The study demonstrates that a CLT modular system greatly reduces the carbon footprint of new home construction in the rural northeast, produces healthier and thermally-efficient interior living environments, and promotes economic opportunity throughout forest sector supply chains and local communities. This study would support the development of locally manufactured CLT production, permittable by local authorities for use in low-density residential applications.